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Last season DU women’s basketball finished in second place in the West Division and reached the conference semi-finals after most experts predicted the team would finish dead last.
In his first year as head coach Erik Johnson turned around the women’s basketball program by stressing the importance of defense and rebounding.
“Rebounding starts our fast break,” senior captain Ashley Robinson said. “We can’t run on teams without rebounding, and on offense rebounds give us the second chance opportunities we need to have success.”
The Pioneers finished No. 3 in the Sun Belt Conference with a 10-8 conference record. DU returns four core players, who led them to their surprise success in 2008-2009.
Robinson led the team in rebounding 19 times and finished with a team high total of 243 rebounds.
“We learned from last year that we must finish solid defensive possessions with rebounding,” Robinson said. “One and done takes a lot of teams out of games.”
The team’s defensive success was partially credited by the shot-blocking presence of Kaetlyn Murdoch.
Murdoch was named the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year, because she helped the Pioneers lead the SBC in blocks per game.
“Shot blocking isn’t what our defense is about,” Johnson said. “We want to play great defense by taking charges and limiting a teams shot opportunities.”
“We have one great shot blocker, which helps our defense,” said Johnson. “And last season we led the league in blocking, because of Kaetlyn, she is our shot blocker.”
Robinson and Murdoch were essential to the Pioneers success last season, but are only two members of a dominant Denver frontcourt presence.
Junior forward Brianna Culberson returns for the Pioneers solidifying the team’s strength below the basket. In the frontcourt junior Britteni Rice, who led the team in scoring last season, leads the Pioneers.
“The key to our success is consistency, we have to stay consistent offensively and defensively,” Rice said. “We can’t play down to lower competition, and we must always play hard.”
Johnson agrees with his star guard on the subject of consistency. After losing a majority of their road games last season, the Pioneers aim to have more success playing away from Magness Arena.
“The road is all about consistency,” Johnson said. “The road shows a team’s inconstancy.”
“We must take care of home court advantage, but its crucial that we steal a couple of road games,” Robinson said. “Road wins will put us ahead in our division and get us to where we want to be.”
In order to have road success, DU’s four freshmen will have to grow accustomed to traveling.
“We have four great returning players in Britteni, Ashley, Kaetlyn, and Brianna,” Johnson said. “The key is how good our freshmen can be, we need them to add depth off the bench.”
“They’re doing great so far,” Murdoch said. “There is a lot of pressure on them [the freshmen] and they know they must step up.”
Depth is a key concern for the Pioneers as they start the season with a total of nine players.
“Having the experienced players really helps,” Johnson said. “They are helping the freshmen.”
Although depth and experience are in question for DU, the team’s cohesion appears to be the cure to the problem.
“We must make sure our teammates know we’re there for them,” Robinson said. “I feel comfortable with my role and right now I’m just leading by example and making sure everyone is buying into the team and their individual role.”
Johnson sees the program progressing in the right direction and is aware of the teams that will challenge the Pioneers this season.
“We have great kids here and great kids coming in,” Johnson said. “All the players must continue on the path of improvement in order for us to be successful, the good players need to become great and the ok players need to become good.”
The Pioneers, last season ended in the conference semi-finals when they lost 70-60 to Arkansas Little-Rock.
Schedule breakdown
The women’s team opens with two home games, but then faces a strenuous six game road stretch. This road trip will help the Pioneer’s four freshmen get used to the traveling of collegiate athletics.
Also this stretch will prove whether or not Denver has improved in terms of road consistency, a place where the Pioneers often struggled last year.
Some of the road games include University of Montana, University of Colorado-Boulder and Air Force. Following the six-game road stretch, DU plays five home games including the conference opener against Florida International on Dec. 14.
In 2010, the Pioneers play most of their stronger division opponents. Last year the Pioneers got their first win against Western Kentucky.
This year they look to continue that success and break into the SBC’s big three by winning games against conference powers Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, and Arkansas Little Rock.
“We need to beat top teams in order to be in the top echelon of the Sun Belt Conference,” head coach Erik Johnson said. “Our goal is to finish in the top 3 of the conference.”
DU plays Western Kentucky only once and it is in Magness Arena on Jan.10.
The Pioneers also host Arkansas-Little Rock on Feb. 17.
Freshman to keep an eye on
Point guard Emiko Smith
Windward School, Los Angeles
Smith joins the Pioneers starting lineup that includes four returning starters. She hails from private high school, Windward School in Los Angeles.
She was three-sport athlete, playing volleyball, softball and basketball. Smith was starting setter for varsity volleyball, center field for varsity softball and point guard for varsity basketball.
In 2009, Smith was nominated for the McDonald’s All-American team for high school.
In a year where DU has four freshmen out of nine total players, there are high expectations for all the newcomers.
“The key to our season is how good our freshmen can be,” head coach Erik Johnson said.
All the new players will be able to gain key experience throughout the season, but no one has as big of a responsibility as Smith who will be the only freshman starting in the DU lineup and will be asked to run the offense.
“If she can be the point guard we need her to be then we can be real good,” Johnson said. “It will come down to her ability to mesh with the experienced players.”
Smith replaces point guard Celena Otero, who graduated last year.
